Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अपराधान्करिष्यंति नित्यमेव पदेपदे । ईर्ष्याधर्मसमोपेताः परुषाक्षरजल्पकाः

Transliteration

aparādhānkariṣyaṃti nityameva padepade | īrṣyādharmasamopetāḥ paruṣākṣarajalpakāḥ

Translation

«À chaque pas, ils commettront sans cesse des offenses, emplis d’envie et d’injustice, proférant des paroles dures.»

Word by Word

• अपराधान्: offences, wrongdoings
• अपराधान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• करिष्यन्ति: will do/commit
• करिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्काल), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; Simple Future, 3rd person, Plural

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण); Indeclinable adverb

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/अवधारण); Indeclinable particle (emphasis)

• पदे: at a step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Locative, Singular (पुनरुक्ति—पदे पदे)

• ईर्ष्या-धर्म-समोपेताः: endowed with envy and unrighteousness
• ईर्ष्या-धर्म-समोपेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईर्ष्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + समुपेत (कृदन्त; सम्+उप+इ (धातु), क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (समोपेत = endowed/possessed)

• परुष-अक्षर-जल्पकाः: speakers of harsh words
• परुष-अक्षर-जल्पकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परुष (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक) + जल्पक (प्रातिपदिक; जल्प् (धातु) + ण्वुल्/क)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of ascetics/pilgrims walking a path; at each step shadowy figures of envy and harsh speech arise—tongues like flames, words as thorns—showing how aparādha follows them.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Envy, adharma, and harsh speech generate continuous aparādha, undermining the sanctity of life near a tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the moral reasoning within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the focus is on ethical restraint—avoiding offense and controlling speech.